Introduction / HistoryThose of Persian descent who live in India are called Parsis, a term that refers to their origin, i.e., old Persia. Some of Persian descent are Shia Muslims who came with Mughal king Babur with surnames such as "Sayyed." Some are Sunni Muslims with surnames such as "Shaikh", "Sayyed" etc. Sunni Muslims migrated from Persia to India due to the persecution of Sunni Muslims and forced conversion. To prevent being converted, the Sunni Muslims migrated to North India and later to South India. Today, Parsis usually live in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Sunni Muslims of Persian descent who lost their identity live in Hyderabad and Aurangabad. Sunni Muslim with surnames Shaikh and Sayyed are of Persian descent.

Where are they located?The Parsis live in Kolkata, Mumbaim, Aurangabad and Hyderabad.

What are their lives like?Parsis are a very disciplined people. They are educated. They tend to have fewer children. They marry between themselves rather than outside of their group. Many work as doctors or engineers. Sunni Muslim Persian are often work as engineers, businessmen, farmers and traders.

What are their beliefs?They typically follow Sunni and Shia Islam or Zoroastrianism.